Salvaging apparatus.



S. M. SMITH.

SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, l9I6 I 1 46,172, Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

S. M. SlVHTH.

SALVAGING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1916. 1,246,172. Patented Nov. 13,1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ful Improvements in Salvaging:Apparatus;

sme a nriumamos v To all whom-2'2, mag'jcon'cern: a

'13s it knownthat I, STEPHEN M: SMITH,

a citizen of the United States: residing" at Boise, in the-county, of Ada and'Sta-te of Idaho, have invented certain new and useof which the following is aspecifi-catioh) sea and repair the same and-to enable it to:

-This' invention relates to salvagingapparatus and more particularly to apparatus designed for raising sunken boa-ts',';although it is applicable to many other uses,rsuch as dredging and other submarine work,-'an'd isnc-t limited to the particular application hereinafter described; This apparatus is also designed for use as 'a -fioatinghigh sea dock, and is adapted to lift a ship at -resume its voyage under its own power.

ject isto provi'de an apparatus er the'above and moved to desired localities and" which One of the objects df the present inven- 7 tion is to'providea practical apparatus parf ticularlyadapted for'raisingsunlcen boats and the like which will be relia-b'lc'and etfi- I cient in, use -and operation. A further 'cbcharacter which mayv be easily controlled will be exceedinglv stable while in nse.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

I "Th s invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinationof parts and in the unique relations of the and disposition thereof, all more completely outlined herein. f V 7 To enable others s1 iiled'intheart so fully to comprehend the tinderlving features thereof that-ehey'may embod the same bV the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated bvqthis invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a partof this disclosure,

and in such drawings lik'e chara-cters of reference denote corresponding partsthroughout all the view s'tof which a Figure li's' a frontelevational vi'ewo fth'e complete apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of part of the same;-

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of one of the parts; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View through'the upper part-of a modified form of construction, such as shown in Fig. 3.

- ApplicationfiledSeptember 5,1916] seriain iia'sra' I members and in the relative proportioni-ng' ,Spe-cificaitionof Letterslaitent. Patented V iRef-errin-g'no'w to the drawings "in nee-anand more particularlytor-Fig; 'l-,"'5 .fa"d

deno e a pair 'oat steamship-s. 'B'oth'hitfth Se is ships are complete in thems ivs,gglaemg equipped the necessary motivepower steering gearing,

engines, and "machine 1 iei ipair shop's, as"wel l--'as auxiliaryengines auxiliary motive power for controlling the hoisting apparatus hereinafterdescribedand positioningtheapparatuses a wholef; with respect to'the sunken boat tobe raised.

These ships arerig-idl'v connected togetherby series of elongated arches 7, made of structural steel orathe like, and extending throughout a ma or portion otthe length of the ships. The upper part oif smears U is-provided with a track m -'8 along which traveling "cranes 10 are adapted to travel. 7 From each crane is siipporited' 'a, grapple or: other'su-itable for-m of attaching means 11,. by me ns oit ca-bles 12, so arranged estate lows-red over a sunken boat secured there--- to'in" a manner "such as shown in Fig. 5L"- Power is then applied to the hoisting mates to raisethe boat,

' Both ships'5 and 6 are also 'connected fby I V bridges 14:fore -'anda ft' to increase the steadiness of the-entire apparatus andalso s to permit readv passage-from one'fship 51:0.

the other; After the snnkeniboa t has: been raised; clear oft-he water it sod'esired, and is suspended as by meansof' cables passing thereunder from the "ship 1) to the strip 6,

the necessary repairs mav' be gma de inseam; whereupon the repaired boat may he re turned to the water'rand continue its my age under'it's-ownpower." f

It is to be noted that both ships t me I' .6 are provided with laterally *ex't'endingpro ne'c'te'dwith the mainsemmof order to 'pennit apositioningofthe s amraised and lowered "required "and em his or {a {complete turning thereof-within sown length; Normallvthese ra sed our e f-the water;

. propellers are j v Both ships?) and 6- are also provided with 7 derricl'zs 16 having mov'afblebooms 18 from which is suspended' 'an observation and grap ling device 20, as shown clearlv in Fig; 7

The grappling part of this devic is'- fully illustrated and described in mv Pat-v ent No. 1,145 .220 and needs nodetailed de,-.

scription of its construction and operation at this time. The upper part, however, 1s

provided with a steel chamber 21 of sublie f stantial thickness in order to properly withstand the strains to which the device may be put at great depths. This chamber is provided with a suitable manhole or inlet 22 countersunk in one side thereof and numerous dead lights or port holes 23 similarly constructed are provided at various points to permit observation in all directions.

The interior of this chamber is provided with a suitable reservoir tank 2% in which compressed air may be stored for use of the observers. An electrically operated pump is provided for expelling the used air as fresh air is admitted from the supply tank through suitable automatic air valves 26. It is of course to be understood that the interior of the chamber which is of sufficient size to accommcdate one or more observers is also properly equipped with electric lights, both inside and out, telephones, etc., thereby to permit a ready observation in all directions, and telephone instructions to the power operator as to the relative position of the apparatus with respect to the boat or object to be raised, as well as other essential details required for preserving proper atmospheric conditions and the proper controlling of the apparatus.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of observation chamber having a plurality of air chambers Ql about the side walls with passageways leading to the side walls and openings '23 in the floor to permit observation straight down.

It is also frequently necessary to remove drifted sand and rocks from about the hull or boat to be raised in order to permit the grappling arms 11 or other attaching means to be properly positioned or secured thereto, and my apparatus is especially adapted for this work.

It is believed that the method of use and operation of an apparatus of this character will be clear from the above disclosure to those familiar with the subject and a further discussion thereof is unnecessary.

It will be seen that the apparatus is of simple and practical construction, reliable, stable and eflicient in use and operation and adapted to accomplish, among others, all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

Various modifications in structure and material may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance the entire observainseam tion chamber may be made of heavy glass if desired and instead of having air reservoirs therein the man may wear individual helmets supplied from above similar to the helmets worn in mine rescue Work.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adaptit for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the eneric or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of ships spaced apart, each of said ships being complete in itself, an archway connecting said ships longitudinally, a longitudinal track way for a hoisting device extending beneath and lon itudinally of the archway, and movable hoisting devices suspended from said track way.

2. in an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of ships spaced apart, each of said ships being cornplete in itself, bridges connecting said ships to permit passage from one ship to the other, an archway connecting said ships longitudinally, a longitudinal track'way for a ioistin device extending beneath and longitudinally of the archway, and movable hoisting devices suspended from said trackway.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of ships spaced apart, each of said ships being complete in itself, laterally movable derricks carried by each of said ships, an archway connecting said ships longitudinally, a longitudinal traclnway for a hoisting device extending beneath and longitudinally of the archway. and movable hoisting devices suspended from said track-way.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN M. SMETH.

Witnesses:

F. L. Brownie, E. F. CAMP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

